He Didn't Have To Be
by LyricsToLifeContest
Summary: Bella Swan is a young single mother to an almost 5 year-old boy. Date after Date she is almost ready to give up on finding love. Edward Cullen is looking for someone to share his life with when Bella walks into his world. He didn't bargain on a little boy that would take over his heart as much as his mother.


**Contest entry for Lyrics to Life Contest**

**Title: He didn't have to be.**

**Pairing: Edward and Bella**

**Rating: M**

**Word Count: 8550**

**DISCLAIMER: The author does not own any publicly recognizable entities or song lyrics herein. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Summary:**

**Bella Swan is a young single mother to an almost 5 year-old boy. Date after Date she is almost ready to give up on finding love. Edward Cullen is looking for someone to share his life with when Bella walks into his world. He didn't bargain on a little boy that would take over his heart as much as his mother.**

* * *

"So, another flop huh?" Angela asked as I threw myself down on her couch.

"God, Angie. I don't know why I even bother. He was worse than Eric". I sighed. Another flop of a date meant another strike against me to find true love.

"How could he have been worse than the letch?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. I just snorted a laugh.

Eric Yorkie really was a letch. I went out with him once because Lauren, my so called friend from the school we work at set us up. She said he was a really great guy and I would be guaranteed a good time. Good time to him maybe. He started the second I opened the door when he picked me up. His eyes immediately zeroed in on my breasts and only left them to drive his car to the restaurant and then to flirt with the hostess there. We talked over dinner and he seemed like an okay guy. He had a decent job as an accountant for a big firm, he owned his apartment and he was well spoken. He asked about my life and when I mentioned my 4 year old son Seth his eyes lit up. I thought it to mean that he liked kids and wasn't unhappy to hear I had one of my own. But no, he automatically thought it meant that I would put out quickly and easily.

"So does little Seth visit his father often?" Eric asked with a smarmy smile.

I shuddered a little; "Um no. I have sole custody. He is with me full time."

"So if we wanted to get a little somethin' you'd have to get a babysitter?"

"Excuse me?"

"Oh sorry baby, I mean. If we want to have some alone time and sex things up a little bit, you would have to hire a sitter?" He clarified.

"Wow." I muttered under my breath. "Um, I have to use the washroom, will you excuse me for a moment?"

"Sure baby, hurry back." He said with a wink. I almost threw up in my mouth a little.

I sprinted to the washroom, pulled my cell phone out of my purse and called Ang. She was watching Seth for me so I knew she would answer the phone.

"Swan. What the hell? You're supposed to be on a date, not calling to check on me and my boyfriend." She joked.

"Very funny Ang. I need help and fast. This guy is a total perv. I will explain when I get home, but you need to give me 5 minutes and then call me back."

She came through and I made an excuse to get home quickly. Eric actually had the nerve to try and worm his way into my house, "Just want to make sure everything is okay with the little guy." I shot that down quickly and ushered him back to his car. Angela had a good laugh at my expense and then went home. Eric tried to contact me several times after that night, but I never returned his calls and I gave Lauren supreme shit when I saw her on Monday and she asked how the date went.

I snapped myself out of the bad memory and proceeded to tell Angela about my latest failed attempt at dating. This one was with Alec Volturi, he taught Social Studies at a local high school and we met at a Teachers Conference in Tacoma. When he asked me to dinner I was thrilled. He was good looking and seemed very nice.

The moment we sat down at the table his cell phone vibrated.

"Sorry, it's.. uh.. my sister. Jane. I need to reply to this."

"Okay, no problem, I hope nothing's wrong."

"Oh, everything is fine." He gave me a soft smile and set his phone back down. Every few minutes the phone would go off and he continued to reply. He would actually interrupt me in the middle of saying something to answer the text.

We got on to the topic of family and I of course mentioned my little Seth.

"Oh you have a child?" He visibly paled.

"I do. He's 4 and the light of my life. Do you have any children?"

"No, I can't say that I do. Where is his father?" He asked abruptly.

"Oh, um. He hasn't been in our lives since just after I found I was pregnant."

"I see." We sat there in silence for several minutes, before I heard yet another buzz from his cell phone. He glanced at it and grimaced then shoved the phone in his pocket.

"Will you excuse me a moment? I am just going to run to the washroom." Alec asked suddenly.

"Oh of course." I sat there for several minutes. The waiter stopped by the table to offer coffee, which I accepted. Another twenty minutes passed and Alec still had not returned to the table. I flagged down the waiter.

"Excuse me, could you check the washroom for my dinner companion? He left the table quite a while ago and I am a little worried."

A minute or so later the waiter returned with an apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry Miss. But there is no one in the washroom." I realized almost immediately that I had been ditched and ended up being stuck with the bill. Thank goodness I decided to meet him at the restaurant; at least I had my car and a way home.

By the end of my story Angela was laughing so hard I thought she was going pee herself.

"Oh my God, Bella. You really don't have any luck with men do you?" She gasped.

I just gave her a dirty look and changed the subject. "How was Seth tonight?"

"Oh the little hellion was great. We made cookies together; they are in a container on the counter. Then he proceeded to tell me the ins and outs of Dora the Explorer and how he is going to be Diego when he is big enough to cross the street by himself."

I giggled. That's my little boy. Always ready to tackle the world. Angela left and I went down the hall to check on my sweet boy. He was curled up underneath his Go Diego Go blanket fast asleep. I sat down on the floor beside his bed and ran my hand over his light brown hair. If he opened his eyes I would see my brown eyes shining back at me. His still held the innocence of childhood, no sadness, no regrets, just happiness. That was all I wanted for him. It wasn't his fault that his sperm donor decided that I was lying when I told him that the baby was his.

Tyler was my high school boyfriend. We met in our junior year when he was the unfortunate victim of my stellar volleyball skills, getting knocked in the back of the head when I tried to spike. He thought my klutziness was cute and asked me out. I accepted and we fell into a relationship. We dated all through the rest of our junior year and all of our senior year. I lost my virginity to him on a camping trip the weekend before we went back to school for senior year. We had to sneak around a lot because if my Police Chief Dad, Charlie found out that his little girl was having sex, Tyler would have lost his balls.

A year later we found ourselves in our first year of college at the University of Washington in Seattle. It was only a few hours from home, so we could go back whenever we wanted. I had lucked out and gotten a single dorm room and we took full advantage of it. One night we had run out of condoms and decided that since I was on birth control we could go without for one night. That one night gave me Seth. A month later, in November, just before Thanksgiving, I was so sick. I had met Angela by this time and she convinced me to take a pregnancy test. When it came out positive, I threw up. When I tried to tell Tyler that night, I threw up. When he yelled at me, called me a slut and denied that I was pregnant with his child, I threw up on his shoes. I saw him a week later in the quad making out with some girl that was in one of his classes. After that I rarely saw him.

I told my parents Thanksgiving weekend that I was pregnant. Dad wanted to drive over to the Crowley's where he knew Tyler was visiting his parents to use his service revolver and ensure Tyler could never father another child. Mom stopped him. I was expecting disappointment and anger. But I never got it. They were both very understanding and supportive. Willing to help me with whatever I chose to do, including raising the baby on my own.

I finished out the year at school, drowning myself in my studies. I moved back home to Forks at the end of May and I gave birth to Seth Charles Swan the first week of July. My parents were my rocks. Angela became my confidante and even though I had decided to continue my studies at Peninsula College in Port Angeles we kept in touch. I decided to get my Associates Degree in Elementary Education and become a school teacher, pushing my dream of becoming a college professor to the back burner. It took me 3 more years to complete my degree and I knew it was because of my parents support. My mom watched Seth when I had class, Dad was so happy to have another boy around that he would just sit and watch a ball game with Seth sitting in his swing beside him in the living room. It was really sweet.

When I decided to look for a teaching job in Seattle, my parents were again completely supportive. Dad even offered to look for a job there as well, so that he and Mom could be close by. But I knew I needed to do it on my own. Once I secured a job as a first grade teacher, Angela helped me find a place to live. Mom and Dad even paid for my first few months of rent in the little two bedroom apartment. I was so grateful for everyone in my life. But I felt like something was missing. So I started to date. The dates I did go on were few and far between and never went beyond a second or third date. But as soon as the guy I was seeing found out about Seth, they would turn around and run. I grew a very thick skin and an even thicker wall was built around my heart. Angela told me to keep trying, that Mr. Right was out there somewhere. But after my last two failed attempts at dating, I was ready to throw in the towel, maybe give up on dating until Seth was in High School. I would concentrate on raising my little boy into a man I could be proud of.

About a week after my date with Alec, Angela and I were having our weekly Saturday afternoon coffee. Seth was watching yet another recorded episode of Go Diego Go and we could hear him yelling along with the TV in the living room.

"So, Ben invited us to a cookout at his buddies house next weekend. You should come." Angela said with a smile.

"Why was I invited?"

"Cause apparently a couple of the guys that are going to be there have kids too, and Ben thought it might be nice for you to socialize a bit and for Seth to make some new friends."

"You know, that actually sounds like it might be fun. Do you know anyone that's going to be there?"

"Nope. I've heard of them all. There's Ben's best friend Edward, Edward's brothers and their wives and kids. One of the kids is the same age as Seth."

"And you haven't met the best friend yet? How long have you guys been together now?"

"Shut it Swan. You know we've been together almost 6 months. But Ben says Edward is a busy guy. He is one of the doctors at Cullen Family Practice. He and his older brother just took over ownership of the practice so their dad could cut his hours. So he has been busy setting it up."

"Doesn't Ben work there too?" The name sounded familiar and I wasn't sure why.

"He does, he is their financial manager."

We talked a bit longer then made arrangements for Ang to pick Seth and I up for the cookout, then she took off.

A week later I found myself trying to dress a very rambunctious 4 year old.

"Mommy, why do we hafta go with Auntie Angie?"

"Because, we're going to have fun. You're going to meet some kids your age and play all day."

"But I don't wanna. I wanna watch Diego."

"I know you do sweetheart, but you can watch Diego tomorrow."

He sighed dejectedly then bolted back to his bedroom. "MOMMY! CAN I BRING MY SWIPER WITH ME?"

"No Seth. Swiper has to stay at home. We don't want him to get lost at Ben's friends' house."

I could hear the sigh from down the hall at the same time the doorbell rang.

"Seth Charles, get your butt back out here and get your shoes on. Auntie Angie is here."

We arrived at Ben's friends' house just after noon. There were a ton of cars and the house was huge. I was a bit intimidated, but Ang made sure to talk me down. As soon as we walked into the backyard Seth saw a couple of kids across the yard and bolted over to them. I laughed as I heard him introduce himself to them.

"Hi. I'm Seth Swan! What's your name?" He said to a little boy who looked to be the same age as him. I didn't hear his reply cause Ang had pulled me over to Ben who was surrounded by a several people.

"Hi Everyone. I'm Angela, Ben's girlfriend. This is my friend Bella."

"And that little rug rat that just ran across the yard is my son Seth."

A big burly guy with dark brown hair and blue eyes smiled over at the kids then at me. "Hi Bella. I'm Emmett Cullen. Glad you could make it. This is my wife Rose and the kiddo yours is talking to is our oldest boy Jacob." His arm was wrapped securely around the waist of a beautiful blonde woman. She was stunning.

"Hi Bella. Nice to meet you. As the big lug said, I'm Rose. Welcome to our home." She said with a kind smile. I liked her immediately.

"Thank you for having us. It looks like your little guy and mine have hit it off." I said as I looked across the yard at Seth and Jacob playing in a sandbox side by side. Jacob was talking animatedly while Seth sat there nodding his head with a huge grin on his face. My heart swelled a little bit seeing my little boy so happy.

"It does seem that way. Come, let me introduce you two around." Rose linked arms with me and Angela then led us to another group of people.

"Alice, Jasper. This is Ben's girl Angela and her friend Bella. Ladies, this is my brother in-law Jasper and his wife Alice."

I recognized Alice immediately. Her eyes went wide and she smiled broadly. "Bella Swan? Is that you?"

"The one and only. Alice Brandon, how long has it been?" Alice used to live in Forks just down the block from my family, she was my babysitter when I was in elementary school and I had not seen her since she was in college and she was visiting just before her parents moved away from Forks.

"Wow, at least ten years. And it's Cullen now. But look at you all grown up. I knew you would be gorgeous!" She exclaimed with a huge smile as she wrapped me up in a hug.

We explained to Rose and Jasper how we knew each other. Jasper had even heard stories about me growing up. I was thoroughly embarrassed but it was great catching up and filling each other in on the past several years of our lives. She was shocked to find out I was a mother, but she hid it well. Seth wandered over and I introduced him to Alice, she was in the process of gushing about how much he looked like me when I glanced across the yard. Standing with Angela and Ben was the most attractive man I had ever seen. Jasper noticed him as well.

"Oh hey, Edward's here. Ed man! Over here" He shouted and waved. The man looked in our direction, waved and started toward us.

I couldn't take my eyes off of him as he crossed the yard. He was tall, at least 6 feet and from what I could tell his body was lean and toned. His copper colored hair was a sexy disheveled mess and his eyes, wow his eyes. Bright green. I didn't think I had ever seen eyes that color before. By the time he reached us I felt like I was going to pass out from holding my breath.

"Hey Jazz, Alice." He leaned over and kissed Alice on the cheek. She smiled up at him.

"Hi Edward, this is Bella Swan. She came to the party with Ben and Angela. But I used to live down the street from her family in Forks. Bella this is Jasper's other younger brother Edward Cullen."

I smile up at him and offered him my hand. "Pleased to meet you Edward."

He looked almost dumbfounded for a moment before he shook his head with a smile. "The pleasure is all mine Bella." He took my hand, brought it to his mouth and lightly kissed the back of it. I felt the heat rising into my cheeks and I looked down at the ground.

He let out a very sexy chuckle, squeezed my hand for a second then let go. He then folded himself into the chair beside me and smiled. "So you knew Alice growing up? That must have been interesting. Did you go to school together?"

Alice snickered and my eyes went wide. Did I really look like I was in my thirties? I blushed again. "Um no. Alice was my childhood babysitter. She's 7 years older than me."

Edward looked shocked for a moment then composed himself. "Wow. I would have never guessed you to be in your early twenties."

I bristled a little bit. "Does that mean you think I look old?" I asked with a bit of bite to my voice. Maybe that's why guys around my age were just not working out. I looked too old for them.

"No, not at all. I would have guessed a year or two older, but not 24. You're beautiful." His eyes widened a bit with his last statement and he blushed.

Seth chose that moment to join us. "MOMMY, guess what! Jacob has ALL of Diego on video. Can we go in and watch some… PLEASE?" He begged throwing himself into my lap.

I laughed and pulled him onto my lap. "I don't know Sethy. We're not here to watch TV, everyone is enjoying the sunshine."

"But MOMMY. Jacob asked me to and I really really want to. PUHLEASE!"

Jacob came over to us tugging on Rose's hand. "Please Seth's mommy." Jacob asked with a pout.

I looked up at Rose and she had a grin on her face. "If they want to go in and watch I don't have a problem with it. I can see into the family room from the patio."

I gave Seth a dramatic sigh to make him giggle. "I guess that would be okay. But you watch Diego and do not leave that room unless you are coming back out here to find me. Got it?" I told him.

"Thank you Mommy." He said thank you about 20 more times as Rose led the two little boys into the house.

"So that little cutie is yours huh?" Edward asked from beside me.

"Oh, um. Yeah. That's Seth, the Go Diego Go freak." I said with a small sigh.

"How old is he?"

"4 going on 15."

"He's pretty cute, and I know cute. I have two nieces and a nephew to judge from." He said with a smile.

I giggled and shook my head.

"Is it just you or will his dad be coming to this shindig too?"

I sighed again. "No, It's just me and Seth. His dad isn't involved in our lives. Hasn't been since I was a few weeks pregnant."

A look I couldn't quite place passed over his face before he smiled. We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing on the patio, listening to music, laughing and watching the kids run in and out of the house and all over the yard. I met Emmett and Rose's youngest, a little girl named Emmalie, she was the spitting image of Rose and just adorable. Alice and Jasper's little girl, Jessica, looked exactly like Alice did when she was a kid. It was uncanny. Seth blended well with them, even claiming that Jacob was his best friend by the end of the day.

After dinner I offered to help clean up the dishes but Rose waved me off, calling me a guest and told me to sit my butt back down and relax. I found myself sitting beside Edward again and he caught me staring at him several times. I was embarrassed because I was sure he was going to think I was freak who couldn't stop staring. But every time he looked over he would just smile at me. Conversation with him was easy because we discovered we had a lot in common. Every time Seth ran over to tell me something, Edward would smile at him and ask him a question about Diego. He was a natural with the kids and I could tell just from the way he treated his nieces and nephew that he adored them. He would make a great father one day.

When it was time to go home, Seth protested loudly, he wanted to stay and play with Jacob more. Which lead to Rose and I exchanging numbers so that we could get the boys together again soon. Alice gave me her number as well and made me promise to call so that we could get together for coffee or dinner. Edward was watching the whole exchange with a smile on his face.

He sauntered over and smiled down at me. "It was great meeting you Bella. I hope to see you again sometime." He said as he squeezed my hand.

"You too Edward." I smiled back. Seth interrupted.

"Bye Ehward. Thank you for playing wif me and Jake." He said sleepily.

Edward chuckled. "No problem buddy. You be good for your Mommy and maybe we can play again sometime okay?"

Seth beamed and nodded his head. I picked him up and he rested his head on my shoulder and yawned. I waved to everyone and followed Angela out to the car. Seth was fast asleep before we pulled out of the driveway.

The next few weeks flew by and before I knew it the end of the school year was around the corner along with Seth's 5th birthday. I had gotten together with Rose a couple of times so that the boys could have some time together. They were like peas in a pod and I couldn't be happier. Alice made it her mission to try and find me a real man, but after my last date with Alec, I had put myself on dating probation.

"What do you mean by Dating Probation? Fuck that shit. Isabella Swan, you are a stunning young woman, you can't be cooped up in your house with only a 4 year old for companionship and nowhere to go but work. You need to let me set you up with someone."

I sighed. "Fine Alice. But he must know about Seth. As soon as the last few guys found about him, the just turned around and ran,"

"Don't worry. I'll find a guy that isn't scared of children!" She vowed.

Another week passed by and my little boy turned 5. Rose suggested Chuck E Cheese, it would be loud but it would take the pressure off and let the kids have fun. Alice was stuck at work that afternoon and asked if it was okay if she sent Jessica with Edward. This was okay with me. I had only seen Edward once since the get together at Emmett's and even then it was brief as he was just dropping something off for Jasper on his way to work.

We had just gotten to our table and the hostess was explaining the party process when I saw Edward walk in with Jessica. I hated to admit it, but after that point I was completely ignoring the hostess as I blatantly stared at Edward. He didn't notice me right away, so I had a chance to enjoy the way his jeans hugged his thighs and how the green button down shirt stretched across his chest. I recovered from my momentary loss of faculties just as he noticed where we were sitting. A huge smile spread across his face and he raised his hand in a wave.

Jessica squealed when she saw her cousins and Seth and the second she could she launched herself at the boys. Edward just chuckled.

"I would say she's excited to be here." He said as he slid into the chair next to mine.

"She sure seems that way. Seth won't admit it cause she's a girl, but he loves being around her. Emmalie too."

"They love having him around too. Whenever I'm over they're always talking about the fun things they did with Seth."

I beamed. I was so happy that my new friends and their children accepted Seth and I with their whole hearts. Other than my parents and Angela, it was rare to find people who would be like that.

The party went off without a hitch. The kids were thoroughly entertained and then worn out with the activities. They were so tired that when it was time to pack up and go, they didn't even beg for more time. Alice had arrived about 15 minutes before we had to leave and took a sleeping Jessica home. Edward stayed behind and offered to help me get Seth's gifts into the car. I accepted.

As we were walking towards the front of the restaurant, Seth started to whine.

"Mommy, I'm sleepy. I don't wanna walk. Can you carry me?"

I sighed. "Sorry Sethy, Mommy has her arms full of your presents. The car isn't far, you'll be fine."

Seth turned his big brown eyes onto Edward. "Ehward?" He said with a pout that could melt the coldest heart. "Will you carry me?" He asked as he blinked several times looking way up at Edward.

Edward grinned over at me. "Sure buddy." He opened his arms and scooped Seth up into them. Seth immediately snuggled in, his head resting right where Edward's neck and shoulder met. My heart grew as I watched him tenderly stroke his hand down my son's back. "Thank you Ehward." Seth said with a sigh. I think he was asleep before we made it out the door.

Edward tenderly set him down in his booster seat in the backseat of my car and straightened up. He turned to me with a shy smile playing on his face.

"Bella, I had a great time this afternoon."

I snorted a laugh. "Right, like it's fun for a single, childless guy to spend the entire afternoon is a noisy restaurant with 7 kids under the age of 6."

"Seriously, I did. I told you I love kids and getting to spend time with my brothers' kids is really the only way I can get my fill. I can't wait until I have at least one of my own."

"Well, I am sure there are women lining up around the block to help you out with that." I said, thinking that I would be at the front of that line.

It was Edward's turn to snort. "Yeah, Okay." He smiled shyly again and took a deep breath; it looked like he was trying to force himself to say something. "Listen, Bella. I know we don't know each other very well, but I was wondering if you'd like to go out for dinner or a movie one night?"

I was shocked. Edward Cullen was asking me out on a date? My eyes widened and before I could say anything he started talking again.

"Um, I don't know how easy it would be for you to get a sitter, but if you can't we can make it kid friendly. I wouldn't mind Seth tagging along. He's a great kid."

I was shocked into silence yet again. Not only was he asking me out, he was willing to have my 5 year old son tag along. I felt tears prick the back of my eyes and I nodded with a huge smile.

"I'd love to Edward."

He beamed back at me. "Great, that's great!" He looked like he was ready to do a little victory dance. "So, um. I was looking at movie times this morning and Toy Story 3 came out last week. Do you think Seth would like to see that? We could go tomorrow afternoon? Maybe go for pizza after?" He asked suddenly sounding nervous.

I could feel my smile get even bigger. "That would be great!"

His nervousness evaporated and he beamed at me again. "Perfect!" He pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it to me. "Um, here, could you put your number in there and I will call you this evening to get your address."

Edward did call that evening, just after I put Seth to bed, and we talked for 2 hours. He was so easy to talk to and we had so much in common. I was a little bit shocked because of our almost ten year age difference, but it didn't even come up. Edward had to call me back after we hung up because he forgot to get my address. I giggled like a teenager as I recited it to him.

When Seth woke up the next morning, he was a bundle of energy. His energy level shot up when I told him what we were going to be doing that afternoon.

"Toy Story 3? With Ehward?" He asked, his little face lighting up.

"That's what I said." I said with a grin.

"OH my gosh! Mommy, do you think Ehward will let me get popcorn and maybe fuzzy peaches?"

I laughed. "We will see sweetheart."

When Edward arrived just after 1, Seth was bouncing off the walls. He bolted for the door as soon as the bell rang.

"Seth Charles Swan, do NOT open that door unless I am standing beside you!" I growled out as I opened the door.

"Sorry, Mommy. I is just so excited! Hi EHWARD!" He shouted when he saw him standing there.

Edward grinned down at him. "Hey little man. You ready to go see what Buzz and Woody are up to now?"

"Yeah, Yeah, YEAH!" Seth shouted bouncing up and down.

"Alright then, let's go!" Edward shouted back, his eyes sparkling with love for my little boy. He looked up at me and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Hi Bella, you look lovely today." He leaned over and kissed me softly on the lips.

I gasped at the contact, but smiled back at him. "Thank you, both for the compliment and for letting Seth come along with us."

"Of course Bella, he is your whole world. I wouldn't have it any other way. Now lets go see this movie!"

The rest of the afternoon was fantastic. Seth was his usual bubbly, well behaved self, we only had to ask him to shush once during the movie. He was sitting between Edward and I. Edward held my hand on the back of Seth's chair throughout the whole movie. His thumb was rubbing circles on the back of my hand sending jolts through my body.

We had pizza for dinner and by the time we made it back to my place it was bed time for Seth.

"What do you say to Edward for taking us to see the movie and for pizza?" I asked Seth when we walked in the door.

"Thank you Ehward. Thank you for letting me come. I had a fun time."

"Anytime Seth. I had a great time with you and your mommy today. Now you be a good little man and go right to sleep for her, okay?"

Seth gave Edward a sleepy smile and a nod. I whispered that I would be right back and carried Seth down the hall to his room. I helped him change into his Go Diego Go pajamas and then tucked his almost sleeping form into bed.

"G'night Mommy. I had a really good time today. Ehward is so nice."

"Yes he is sweetheart. I had a good time too. Now close those eyes and get to sleep."

"Kay Mommy. I love you."

"I love you too, Sethy."

I made my way back to the living room where Edward was sitting on the couch.

"Thank you for today. Seth had a great time." I said with a shy smile as I sat at the opposite end of the couch from him.

"And what about Seth's mom? Did she have a good time too?" He scooted a couple of inches towards me.

"She had a wonderful time too. Thank you Edward."

"It was my pleasure, Seth is amazing. You've done a great job with him so far."

I blushed, looked down at my hands and thanked him. It was one of the best compliments I could ever receive, knowing that other people could see how amazing my little boy was.

I looked back up at Edward and he had a look on his face that I couldn't describe. His eyes were soft, almost loving as he looked at me.

"Bella, you are…" He stopped and smiled then shook his head a little, almost as if he was clearing it.

"I'm what?" I asked, nerves building in my stomach.

"You are an amazing woman. You're beautiful, kind, caring, a wonderful mother, beautiful…"

I giggled like a little girl. "You said beautiful twice."

"I know. It just makes it doubly true."

I felt the blush work its way into my cheeks. "And that blush. You don't know what that blush does to me."

I looked down at my lap again, my blush deepening.

"Please don't hide from me." I felt him scoot closer to me on the couch. He reached over and used one of his long fingers under my chin to force me to meet his eyes. "Your blush is endearing, it makes you that much more beautiful."

I couldn't find words, my eyes just widened a bit. "Bella, can I ask you something?"

"Of course." I whispered.

"Can I take you out, just the two of us? I mean, I adore Seth, but I would like to get to know his Mom a bit more too."

"Oh, of course. I could ask Rosalie if she would babysit. I know Jacob has been dying to have Seth over."

"You do that and let me know what night works the best for you."

"Okay."

We talked for a few more minutes before Edward left. He gave me a light kiss on the cheek before he walked out the door.

The next six months flew by. After our first amazing adult only date, Edward and I had been almost inseparable. I had never felt more cherished than I did when I was with Edward. He quickly became the male role model I had always wanted for Seth. My Dad had always been a fantastic male figure in Seth's life, but it wasn't the same as a father figure.

It was late Friday afternoon, I had just gotten home from work and Seth was in his room playing when my phone rang. It was Alice.

"Hey Bella, I hear you're making dinner for two for tonight? Do you need someone to watch Seth?"

"Nope. Edward is supposed to be here just before I put Sethy to bed. He wants to be here in time to read him his bedtime story and tuck him in."

"You know that brother in law of mine is pretty special."

"Alice, he is beyond special. I don't know how I got this lucky. I've fallen so in love with him."

"Does he know?" She asked with a smile in her voice.

"He does." I told her the story of how Edward told me he was in love with me.

_We had been dating for about three months, and we were having one of our adult only dates. We hadn't had many because Edward truly enjoyed having Seth around. Seth was actually staying the night with Jacob. Edward and I were at his place having a quiet dinner with a video and some wine. We had finished eating and were sitting on the couch in the living room making out. Up to that point we had not made love yet, but there was almost always some above the clothes action most nights. _

_He broke our kiss and sighed contentedly as he snuggled me into his side. I looked up at him. His eyes were closed and there was a soft, happy smile on his face. He opened his eyes and looked right into mine._

"_I love you." He blurted out and from the look on his face he wasn't expecting himself to say it._

"_You love me?" I asked, not believing it._

"_I do Bella, so much. You and Seth have quickly become the most important part of my life. I've wanted to tell you so much for the last few weeks, but I could never find the right time. But I do, I love you Bella."_

_I smiled, I could see the truth in his eyes, and the fact that he included Seth in his declaration sealed the deal for me._

"_I love you too, Edward."_

_His eyes widened and he smiled so huge. Before I could say anything else, he had pinned me to the couch and was kissing me deeply. "It has been a huge fantasy of mine to hear you say that." He said between kisses._

When I finished telling Alice the story, she was giggling. "Yeah, that sounds like Edward. He always needs to set the scene. I'm so glad that you two are making each other happy. Now, an important question, have you done the deed yet?"

I blushed even though she couldn't see me. "No."

"What do you mean no? You've been together since the summer, how could that be a no?"

"Crap Alice, you make it sound like it's some huge horrible thing that Edward and I haven't had sex yet."

"I'm just shocked is all. I am married to a Cullen man, I know they're hard to resist."

"OH believe me, it has been hard." I snorted a bit at the double entendre, "And we have done a lot, we just haven't hit home yet. Believe me, I want to, so bad. But it just hasn't felt right yet. I'll know when it's right."

Alice laughed, and then bid her goodbye. Jessica was calling her and she needed to run.

A couple of hours later after I gave Seth his dinner and then his bath, Edward arrived. Seth was so excited because apparently, Edward was the best bed time story teller EVER. They both shooed me away so they could have 'man time' before Seth went to sleep. I just shook my head and went to the kitchen, I quickly plated dinner for Edward and I, and then set the table. I was just lighting a candle in the center when I felt Edward's strong arms wrap around me from behind.

"Hi" He said as he planted a soft kiss on my neck just below my right ear.

I turned in his arms and kissed him back. "Hey. Is the little monster sleeping?"

"Not yet, but he is tucked in and should be there soon. Dinner smells fantastic."

"Good, let's eat."

We enjoyed our dinner and after I cleaned up we met on the couch. He pulled me closer and kissed me tenderly.

"I love you." He sighed.

"I love you too."

He pulled away slightly and smiled. "Bella, I have something very important I want to ask you."

I perked up. "What's that?"

"Well, you know how much I love both you and Seth, and I want more. I want to wake up beside you every morning, I want to tuck Seth in and read him a bed time story every night, I want to help you with the dinner dishes, I want you beside me when we have my family over for Christmas dinner, Bella, I love both you and Seth more than my own life. Will you do the extraordinary honor of letting me become your husband and Seth's Daddy?"

Tears were pouring down my face and I couldn't speak. He pulled out a small velvet box that contained a beautiful princess cut diamond solitaire ring. My breath hitched and the tears flowed ever harder, I couldn't speak so I nodded. This was everything I had ever hoped for. For myself and Seth, a wonderful man to take care of us both.

"Can you say that out loud sweetheart?"

I smiled through my tears. "Yes, Edward. Yes, I'll marry you." I said as soon as I found my voice. He smiled triumphantly and then placed the ring that fit perfectly on my left hand, then pulled me in for a passionate kiss. All of the sudden I heard a squeal and a small body collided with us.

"Mommy! You said yes! That means that Edward is going to be my Daddy!"

I looked at Edward with what I was sure was a bewildered expression.

"I had to ask him if it was okay if I married you, and I told him that if he wanted, it would mean that I would be your husband and his Daddy. Oh and I asked your parents when we saw them last month. So you had better call your mother first when we start telling people."

I couldn't believe that he had been planning this for over a month.

After we got Seth settled back down and back into bed, he quickly fell asleep. I pulled Edward into my bedroom. We sat on the edge of the bed and he pulled me into his side.

"I love you Bella, thank you for making me so happy."

He kissed me and I quickly deepened the kiss. I needed him more than I ever thought possible. It finally felt like the right time. I pushed him back on to the bed and quickly straddled his hips and ground myself down onto his already hard cock. He gasped and broke our kiss.

"Bella," He groaned out, "You don't have to do this yet if you don't want to."

"I do want to Edward, I love you. I'm sorry I haven't been ready, but I am now. So ready. Please, make love to me?" I pleaded almost begging.

He groaned again and then flipped me onto my back. "You're so beautiful." He kissed me again and his hands started to explore. It didn't take long before all of our clothes were shed and we were lying naked next to each other. I was so turned on that when he reached down to feel if I was ready for him, he moaned.

"Fuck, Bella. You're so wet for me."

I just nodded and tugged him closer to me. "Please." I begged.

"Do we need anything?" He asked. I shook my head. I had regularly gotten the shot and we had already had the talk about everything else recently.

He quickly moved himself above me and positioned himself at the entrance to my core. As he slipped in we both whimpered at the contact.

"You feel better than I ever imagined." He slowly pushed himself all the way in until our hips were flush against each other. He dipped his head down and gently kissed my neck as he began to move in and out. Before long we were both panting. He angled himself just right and was hitting the spot where I was most sensitive. I was going to fall over the edge quickly. As if he could sense how close I was, he suddenly reached between us and used a single finger to massage my clit. That sent me over, my orgasm washed over me quickly and I was a blissful panting mess. He followed behind quickly, collapsing on top of me with a huge smile on his face.

He pulled out of me with a sad whimper and the quickly got a warm wet cloth to clean me up. Once we were dressed in our pajamas and settled down in bed we discussed when we wanted to get married. Neither of us wanted to wait long, so we decided on a very short engagement, and set our wedding date for the first Saturday in April, which also coincided with spring break so I would have a week off after the wedding.

22 years later

Seth's POV

I was pacing the lobby of the hospital, nerves had taken over and my palms were sweating. I heard my name called and looked up and saw my parents exiting the elevator from the parking garage.

Mom quickly engulfed me in a hug and I immediately calmed. Mom was always my sense of calm whenever I needed it.

"How is she doing?" Dad asked as he clapped me on the back with a hug.

"She's good. Progressing a bit slower than the doctor would like, but good. I hated to leave her, but I didn't want you guys to have any hassle trying to get onto the unit."

"Well let's head up there." Mom said with a smile as Dad slipped his arm around her shoulder and squeezed.

We walked down the hall and got into the elevator that would take us to the maternity ward on the 4th floor, where Chelsea, my wife of a year was in labor, trying to bring our son into the world. I don't know how Dad seemed to remain so calm when he did this twice with mom. First when she gave birth to Rebecca when I was 8 and then Colin when I was 12. So I decided to ask him.

"You seriously think I was calm?" He asked with a huge laugh. "I was anything but calm. You lucked out and only saw me just as your mother went into labor and then after at the hospital. I was so nervous, especially the first time with Becca." I sometimes forgot that Dad didn't come into our lives until I was 5. He wasn't there when Mom had me. But from the outside of our family, you could never tell. I was his first son, and he cared for me like I was his blood. It had been that way for as long as I could remember.

I remember when Mom and Dad got married just before I turned 6. I was so excited, I was finally going to have a Dad and a cool one. It was so strange, before Edward came into our life, I always thought something was missing, but as soon as he was there, we went from having that something missing to being a real family.

As the elevator ascended, Dad told me about how nervous he was the entire time Mom was in the hospital. Even with his medical degree and assisting on several deliveries over the years, it didn't prepare him to see the love of his life in so much pain. He would have done anything to ease it for her.

When we finally got back to Chelsea's room, there was good news waiting. She was only another centimeter away from being able to push. Mom and Dad quickly kissed Chelsea and gave her their love before they retreated to the waiting room. Before they left, Chelsea asked about my younger brother and sister. Mom said that Becca called and was on her way from Portland where she was going to school and Colin was with Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper and they would come once the baby had arrived.

A little over 3 hours later Samuel Edward Cullen came screaming into the world. He was 8lbs 8oz of perfect baby boy. The nurse cleaned him up and carted him away to the nursery so that Chelsea could be cleaned up and brought to a room. She told me to go tell my family that Sammy had arrived.

I walked down the hall to the waiting room and walked in with a huge smile on my face.

"It's a boy!" I shouted even though we had all known that for several months. The only thing they didn't know was his name. We wanted to surprise my Dad with our little boy's name.

I was engulfed in hugs from Dad and Mom immediately. "Congratulations my boy." Dad said with tears in his eyes.

"What's his name?" My little sister asked from right beside mom.

I looked over at Dad and slung my arm around his shoulder. "Let's head down to the nursery, so you can see for yourself."

Dad and I stood at the nursery window as they brought the baby in. They wheeled his little bassinette in and on the front was a little sign with Cullen taped to the front, Samuel Edward in big letters below. I heard Dad take a breath in and then saw his hand come up to the window. I looked over at the huge smile on his face and tears flowing from his eyes.

"Edward? Really?" He asked with awe in his voice.

"Of course Dad. Who else would we name him after?" Dad sniffled a bit and I saw Mom standing behind him with a matching smile on her face. We all turned back to the glass, staring at my little miracle. I again glanced at the man standing beside me and I prayed to myself that I could be at least half the dad that he didn't have to be.

* * *

**Song: "He didn't have to be" By Brad Paisley**

**Link: www dot youtube dot com / watch?v=BjO1F6oCab8**


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